There are many benefits to having automated shades and lights in your home – effortless privacy, comfortable lighting, better sleep, and less energy usage just scratch the surface. Let’s dive into all the things you need to know about automating your home and making sunlight work for your benefit.
What are automated shades and lights?
We all know there are motorized shades that will come down or retract with the use of a remote or your phone. The same thing is available for smart lights too, with switches and dimmers being controlled by your Alexa or Google Home. Automated shades and lights take this technology a step further, operating on a pre-set schedule that allows you to pick the times for your lights and shades to run independently without having to think about it. These automated systems allow you to “set it and forget it” while optimizing your energy usage, sleep schedules, and privacy.
Benefits of automating your smart home:
- Lower Electric Bill
Did you know that by closing your blinds or curtains at night you can reduce heat loss up to 17%? According to a study done by EnergyHouse, blinds and curtains have a huge impact on your home’s internal temperature, which affects your electricity bill. By reducing the heat loss, your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard to keep it cool, and this can help bring your electricity bill down. With automated shades and lights, you can set your controls to close the blinds and turn all of the lights off at a certain time, making sure you never forget!
2. Wake Up & Sleep Better
Let the sun become your new alarm clock and sleep time reminder! Set your automated shades and lights to open or turn on each morning at sunrise and never wake up to an annoying alarm clock again. Waking up naturally can help align your circadian rhythm, making getting out of bed easier and going to sleep faster. By reducing light at night time, it increases our production of melatonin, inducing drowsiness and making us sleep better. When we align our bodies with the natural sunlight patterns, we have a more stable sleep-wake schedule.
3. Privacy and Safety
By creating a schedule for your automated shades and lights, you can ensure privacy when you want it. You can also adjust the schedule at any time by manually closing your shades with your voice or app. The schedule feature is also beneficial if you are leaving town for an extended time. Set your automated shades to open and lights to turn on at random times throughout the day making it look like someone is always home.
Best Automated System For You
Some of our favorite automatic shade lines are Lutron Triathlon as well as Lutron Sivoia QS. These shade systems are some of the best on the market in terms of style, functionality, and innovation. Their blinds come with Natural Light OptimizationTM, which adjusts them based on the tilt of the sun, automatically maximizing the most daylight for you. Lutron also offers their smart lighting lines, Caséta and RadioRa3, that connect to your Alexa, Google Home, or Ring. All of Lutron’s products can be synced with their app, allowing you to set schedules and manually control the shades and lights at any time with your phone.
Automatic shades and lights can create the smart home of your dreams. They will have you paying less for your energy bill, sleeping better, and feeling like your home is protected when you are away. Shop our automated light system online or come by our showroom to see them in person!